About Me

Hi there! I am Kimunya Mugo and welcome to LeadByChoice, a home I curate for people who want to take bold and courageous leadership. I am a Certified Coach, Strategy Consultant, Communication Specialist and author. My mission is to co-create with you a world of hope, connectedness and empowered life. I partner with you to design a culture of excellence through purposeful action. It is anchored on a fanatical focus for growth and legacy. If you are a motivated but overwhelmed leader, executive, individual or professional team, welcome on board to co-create timeless possibility to thrive at work and life!

What I blog about

I believe that coaching, leadership, communication and branding are so intricately connected, that without one, the others cease to flourish. These are the themes that you will engage with here. You will experience personal growth, build your team and even enjoy your family more. You are a leader, and you will grow into the best you can be. However, you have to give yourself the permission to become one!

How did I end up here?

From when I was a boy, I the question ‘But why?’ when confronted with major decisions always got me fired up. This made me challenge the status quo. I did not always follow the crowd and tended to blaze my trail.

I got tired of complaining about the mediocre ‘leadership’ I constantly found myself working under. Deep down, I knew that I was born a leader. I have a burning desire to see other prosper their leadership potential. Finally, I made a decision in 2012 that I would live fearlessly.

But life had dealt me some serious wounds that filled me with fear. A fear of failure. I had to forgive someone who had hurt me when I was just seven years old.

When I was eleven, another candle was unceremoniously extinguished. I still remember that day like it was yesterday. Our English teacher was handing back our essay assignments. As was custom, he started off with the student with the highest grade and worked his way to the bottom.

And guess what? I was it! I had flunked! It was depressing to say the least. I had poured my heart to write an epic story…and I had. His reason for not grading my essay? “You copied your essay from somewhere else,” he said with a smirk on his face.

That added to my feeling of inadequacy. But that did not kill my dream! A small ember still flickered in the recesses of my battered spirit. But it took a lot of hard work to get that ember into a roaring fire!

In 2013, I quit my day job to fully commit myself to writing, coaching and serving you. The same year, I published my first book. Down But Not Out: Becoming A Significant Leader at Home was my key to freedom. In it, I share my journey of joy, pain, fears, rejection and finally triumph.

I began doing something that I could not do without. Something that mattered not only to me, but for the betterment of humanity. The degree to which you are able to tell your story is the degree to which you are able to heal. It helps us deal with our shame, our inadequacy. To deal with me!

This will be the ride of my life, but I want to help people to become unmistakably authentic! My ultimate hope is that you find change from the inside that positively affects your outlook and everything or anyone you touch. In coaching, leadership, communication and branding.

My brief bio

I have worked in the not-for-profit sector for over 15 years. Trained as a scientist (horticulture), I have always loved leadership and communication. However, it was not a direct transition. I was kind of ‘pushed’

into it when my first boss put me in charge of developing my first website back in 1999 (by the way, I had no clue how to do it!). In a month, it was up and running.

My last day job was as Regional Director for Communication & Branding of WWF in eastern and southern Africa. This was by far the toughest position I had ever held. But through it, I learned the most valuable lessons in leadership, working with teams spread over six countries. Before that, I worked in a variety of roles for three other organizations (see full profile).

I have also been a coach of some very critical leaders in society, parents! Since 2007, my wife and I have coached hundreds to become better leaders at home.

In my free time, I enjoy writing, reading, the outdoors, running, speaking and helping other parents.

I am married to my best friend Harriette since 2004.  We have four children and make our home in Nairobi, Kenya.

My values

These are my solid five pillars that support my work and life:

• I will enshrine boldness in my vision.
• I want to inspire excellence in people.
• I will be authentic in my leadership at all times.
• I want to make a difference with my life.
• I will consistently add to my knowledge.

Let’s get connected

To serve you, I want to be available as much as I can. Sometimes life gets crazy and it takes me some time to respond, but I do my best to respond in a timely manner.

Here are the best ways we can connect better:

• Subscribe to my Blog – This way, I promise to deliver any updates and goodies directly to your mailbox. My promise is NO SPAM and a guarantee that your email WILL NEVER be shared with anyone else.
  
• Blog Comments – I really appreciate when you comment on my posts, and I do my best to respond to all of them. Let me know your thoughts on my posts and how I can best help you.
• Email – Let’s have a conversation… It’s as simple as a click!
• Twitter – I really like the freshness of Twitter! Follow me @KimunyaMugo then send me @mention or reply.
• Facebook – I engage with your comments and mentions on Facebook. LIKE my Page and my Facebook Profile and let’s rock!

I Look Forward to Hearing From You!

What others are saying

On the blog…

“Love your stuff and your blog!” Kary Oberbrunner

“…Very impressive. I like your thinking and the breadth of topics you cover. I pray you do well.” Don Mercer

“Kimunya, thanks for the thought-provoking pieces that prompt action. Your article on Leadership is HOPE was particularly very practical calling for a little pause from ‘our busy frame’ and to take time to impact for the future.” Ciru

“Fantastic! Looks like you have a passion for helping others, as well do I… Keep up the great work.” –Dave

On my book Down But Not Out: Becoming a Significant Leader at Home…

“Authentic and transparent! A must read for any parent that desires to empower their children to live a life of significance in a world filled with challenges.”  Barry Smith

“Intimately candid and bold. A reminder that hope still exists if parents deliberately train their children to grow in ‘wisdom, stature and favor with God and man’.” Michael Oyier, Psychologist & Media Practitioner, Founder & Director Serenity Life Coaching.

“I loved this book and read it in one sitting. I could not put it down. It is beautifully written full of lessons and love. The whole book resonated with me. Even though I live in Canada, it is amazing how our experiences of love and loss are similar. Values start at home. This book shows you that and how to weave your values into your leadership. 10 out of 10!” Cheri Essner

“I enjoyed reading Down But Not Out as Kimunya poured out his experience and learning so that others may benefit. I like the authenticity and practical step by step exploration. Having attended the same parenting class with him and Harriette they have done justice to lessons learnt. Great job Kimunya looking forward to your next releases. In the meantime enjoying your Lead by Choice blog.” Ciru

“Excellent book. Kimunya articulates well what it takes to lead. He remains very authentic narrating all high and low moments in his personal and family life to illustrate and tie in all the required prerequisites for successful leadership at home. A genuine 5 star read.” Amazon.com Customer

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[photo: Teddy Mitchener, HouseOfPhotography]